| ID | 105248 |
| Title Proper | Enlivening the concept of democratization |
| Other Title Information | the biological metaphor |
| Language | ENG |
| Author | Whitehead, Laurence |
| Publication | 2011. |
| Summary / Abstract (Note) | Mechanical metaphors have colonized the social sciences, including the study of democratization processes. But they may provide a misleading framework for monitoring ongoing "self-equilibrating" social processes with no natural "end state" such as democratization. I propose that modern biology can be consulted as an alternative source of analogical reasoning, offering a more flexible and appropriate stock of metaphors that can enliven analogical accounts of processes of democratization. The shift towards modeling democracy as a living practice permanently directed towards self-preservation and propagation provides a clearer rationale for comparative studies, focussing on the relative "quality" of democracy in different contexts. I begin with a brief sketch of the historical instability and current contestability of most democratization processes; I then examine the morphology of complex political concepts and propose alternative biological analogies to replace the currently prevalent physicalist imagery. |
| `In' analytical Note | Perspectives on Politics Vol. 9, No. 2; Jun 2011: p.291-299 |
| Journal Source | Perspectives on Politics Vol. 9, No. 2; Jun 2011: p.291-299 |
| Key Words | Mechanical Metaphors ; Democratization ; Biological Metaphor |